The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-04-07

Gentlemen OF the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives:
At the conclusion of your labors, and
before your final adjournment, must be
permitted to congratulate you and the
people of the state upon the sue
cessful results of your long session.
Coming together at time and with
duties devolving upon you not alto
gether auspicious for calm delibera-
ton, you have the satisfaction of know
ing, on your return to your homes and
constituents, that you have earnestly en-
deavored to master the great difficulties
confronting you on your assembling, and
have left the impress of your zeal and
your patriotism upon the statute books OF
your state, which will, doubtless,
rebound to her interest and
advancement. You have made
reasonable provisions for the preservation
of order and the enforcement of the law;
you have given thoughtful and favorable
consideration to the demand of capital
and labor alike; rendered our election
laws more effective; thrown additional
safeguards around the collection and
transmission of taxes, and devised better
methods for securing strict economony
duU peCl6CO huOilUJ III obo OA Va
public money; have increased the elficien-
cy of our assessment laws, By which the
burden of government should rest com.
paratively equal weight upon all
citizens alike; have given careful thought
to the perfection of our benifcent sys-
tenn of education; have carefully investi
gated the different state Departments, and
the charitable, educational and penal insti-
tutions of the state, in order that abuses
if detected, might be exposed; have for
mulated into law the public will that our
youthful offenders may be separated from
mature criminals, and thereby be rendered
more susceptible to moral influence and
reformation; have provided a better sys-
tam for the management and control of our
funds for public education and charities by
the enactment of better regulations for
the sale and utilization of our public
lands.
These are only few of the measures
which have received your attention, and
many Others which have been omitted,
will, in my judgment, prove Of equal
advantage to the public interest.
They are on the statute books, and will
speak for themselves.
But the patient industry displayed,
and the patriotic earnestness which has
characterized your entire session, and the
studied purpose exhibited by you to rush
into no extreme legislation by which the
development of the state might be re-
tarded, are known only to yourselves and
those having close official connection and
association with you.
In my limited experience and observa-
tion in public matters, I have never
known public body more faithful to the
trusts reposed or more considerate of the
Interests of their constituents; and, upon
your departure for your homes, most
heartily express my qualification at the
pleasant official association 1 have had
with your honorable bodies, and return
you my thanks for the kind consideration
you have uniformly shown me throughout
our intercourse. L. S. Ross,
Governor.
A vote of thanks was extended to the
secretary and other officers of the SEN
ate,
The last bill was signed, the president
returned his sincere thanks, an earnets
prayer was delivered by the cha plain, DR..
Smoot, aud the senate of the Twentieth
legislature adjourned sine die.